Ever spill radiator fluid while driving? Generally this will happen if it’s damn hot out and your driving the vehicle hard. Yesterday, I wasn’t really driving my car super hard, nor was overtly hot, however I had got onto the 405 freeway heading south for a meeting at Universal when I saw a little splurge of radiator fluid hit my windshield. Immediately it was followed by a beeping noise that the car was getting pretty warm. I started to see steam come out of the vents, so I immediately rolled down the windows.
As I neared the top of the hill, I coasted the car towards Santa Monica to let it cool off as much as I could. Not many exits going south on the 405 right now in the Sepulveda pass, mostly due to construction. I managed to make it to the 10 and get off at the exit I needed for getting to Universal for my meeting. However, I did have to finally park the car and walk the rest of the way. It wasn’t getting enough air to justify driving it to keep it cool. I popped the hood and saw that the hose had slipped off the heater core.
I called the office I was about to meet to let them know I’d be there a little late as my car broke down and I’d be walking it. They were understanding and said whenever you get here, it’s fine. Whew.
The meeting went well.
Afterwards, I was able to find a friend in Santa Monica who could bring a screwdriver and a gallon of water. I examined the engine again, to find that the hose to the heater core bib had broken clean off. More or less disintegrated, and broke. The good thing was – there was some plastic left I could connect the hose back to. That allowed me to fill the radiator fluid, start the car and get it somewhere else to be fixed.
Talk about an inopportune time for a breakdown. Glad they were understanding.
Breakdown
It’s all right if you love me
It’s all right if you don’t
‘Cause, I’m not afraid of you running away honey
I get the feeling you won’t
There’s no sense in pretending
Your eyes give you away
Something inside you, is feeling like I do
We’ve said all there is the say
Breakdown, honey go ahead and give it to me
Breakdown, honey take me tonight
Breakdown, I’m standin’ here can’t you see?
Breakdown, it’s all right, it’s all right, it’s all right
It’s all right if you love me
And it’s all right if you don’t
‘Cause, I’m not afraid of you running away honey
I get the feeling you won’t
It’s okay, if you must go
‘Cause, I’ll understand if you don’t
You say goodbye right now, I’ll still survive somehow
Why should we let this drag on?
Breakdown, honey go ahead and give it to me
Breakdown, honey take me to the night
Breakdown, I’m standin’ here can’t you see
Breakdown, it’s all right, it’s all right, it’s all right, baby
Breakdown, honey go ahead and give it to me
Breakdown, honey take me to the night
Breakdown, I’m standin’ here can’t you see
Breakdown, it’s all right, it’s all right
Breakdown, honey go ahead and give it to me
Breakdown, honey take me to the night
Breakdown, I’m standin’ here can’t you see
Breakdown, it’s all right, it’s all right
Breakdown, ohh baby
Breakdown, ohh baby
Ohh baby, breakdown
Breakdown
Breakdown
Breakdown
Hopefully your car never does this to you.
Yesterday I had what could be called an LA moment. I was on the phone to business setting up a lunch meeting while sitting in my car parked on a street about to go into a restaurant for another meeting I was about to have. All music related. As I’m one the phone, I notice a homeless man sitting in the dirt off the sidewalk in the corner of a walled area. He was about 20 yards from me. He sat up, which is what got my attention. Then he looked wearily around like either in a drunk stupor or a sleepy daze. He then proceeded to remove his pants. It was right then that I told the person on the phone “I’ve seen a lot of things in LA, but I’ve never seen this.” They asked me to describe it. Yikes.
The poor soul took his pants off, lifted his legs into the air while on his back and let his junk fly free in the wind. I did not take a picture. I also didn’t think it was a wise idea to confront him about his situation, he did seem like he could fly off the handle at any given moment despite his daze.
I’d liken it to a train wreck. You don’t want to look, but you’re unable to ignore it. Don’t ask if I took pictures. I didn’t. Nor did I take video.
Fortunately he did put his pants back on. Then laid back down to sleep.
The humor I impart today is that there is a song called “Always Something There To Remind Me” – this holds so true for Los Angeles.
LA Moment with Naked Eyes
I walk along the city streets you used to walk along with me,
and every step I take reminds me of just how we used to be.
Well, how can I forget you, girl?
When there is always something there to remind me.
always something there to remind me.
As shadows fall, I pass a small cafe where we would dance at night.
And I can’t help recalling how it how it felt to kiss and hold you tight
Well, how can I forget you, girl?
When there is always something there to remind me.
always something there to remind me.
I was born to love her, and I’ll never be free.
You’ll always be a part of me.
If you should find you miss the sweet and tender love we used to share.
Just go back to the places where we used to go, and I’ll be there
Well, how can I forget you, girl?
When there is always something there to remind me.
always something there to remind me.
I was born to love her, and I’ll never be free
You’ll always be a part of me.
’cause there is always something there to remind me.
always something there to remind me.
always something there to remind me.
Enjoy your day and may it be memorable!
Come with me as we give the Universal Audio Apollo a shootout at Utopia Parkway studio. My Avalon 737 was at the factory so we decided to give George’s Apollo a shot at being the mic pre of choice. We set up a couple of different channel strips to see which input path would give us the best signal for my Telefunken C-12 and my voice on my song “Thump Thump Thump”. It was down to a Neve with an LA2A and a 610 with an 1176.
[sarcasm]It’s riveting. So riveting. Especially if you’ve never been in a recording studio.[/sarcasm] Recording isn’t always the fun and games that people think it is. We do actually spend time figuring out exactly what the best course of recording a sound is. Time consuming comes to mind. Office managers determining a project’s work path is probably the best analogy. After that the real work begins. Laying down the musical parts.
Universal Audio Apollo Mic Pre
Thump Thump Thump recording
Testing mic pre’s.
Testing the Apollo mic pre. Okay Universal Audio.
I lie awake in the middle of the night.
Channel strip two. Well it’s actually one, but I flipped them around.
Well… we’re. It’s the second take on the channel strip on the Apollo.
There’s a push and a pull.
I lie awake in the middle of the night
There’s a push and a pull. As the gears begin to grind.
You know what? That, the 610 sounds more… rock-and-roll. If I was to put a… it has more “ah! to it” more ah.
There’s more meat to it.
That how, that’s how I would describe it.
It’s got more protein, more girth to it. Okay whereas the neve LA2A has a bit more of a refined thin thing.
Yes it’s interesting, I guess there’s a difference in the models. Cause it’s basically the same mic going through 2 different model emulations and they do sound different. Yeah. They are so hard core. I mean really truly. More hard core than most companies are. They want their stuff to be right. and they just really won’t stop until they are.
It’s the 610 76 that wins.
Okay, to give us the meat.
To get the song to ether.
There’s a tune that’s passed through my iTunes radio called “She Looks So Perfect” recently. The surprising thing is that iTunes Pop is saying that this band’s other single called “Good Girls” is the #1 on the chart. I’m wondering why the hell it is. Mostly because the first time I heard GG – I immediately was like who the hell would rip off Blink 182, RUSH?!?, Green Day and other pop punk bands so blatantly? I mean the riffs of the guitars in Good Girls were so obviously stolen it’s silly. I decided, who did it and found it was a band called 5 Seconds of Summer.
I was taken aback because I really enjoy She Looks So Perfect. It’s got that typical teen angst anthemic quality – retaining a very familiar vibe without being so blatant of a rip-off. My favorite line in the song is “She looks so perfect standing there in my American Apparel underwear and I’m so down; Your lip-stick stain is a work of art I got your name tattooed in an arrow heart and I’m so down.” It’s pure fun and I dig it. It’s a perfect beach/summer romance. My only hope is they’ll branch out into their own thing.
She Looks So Perfect
Hey, hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey
Simmer down, simmer down
They say we’re too young now to amount to anything else
But look around
We worked too damn hard for this just to give it up now
If you don’t swim, you’ll drown
But don’t move, honey
You look so perfect standing there
In my American Apparel underwear
And I know now, that I’m so down
Your lipstick stain is a work of art
I got your name tattooed in an arrow heart
And I know now, that I’m so down
Hey! Hey, hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey
Let’s get out, let’s get out
‘Cause this deadbeat town’s only here just to keep us down
While I was out, I found myself alone just thinking
If I showed up with a plane ticket
And a shiny diamond ring with your name on it
Would you wanna run away too?
‘Cause all I really want is you
You look so perfect standing there
In my American Apparel underwear
And I know now, that I’m so down
I made a mix-tape straight out of ’94
I’ve got your ripped skinny jeans lying on the floor
And I know now, that I’m so down
Hey! Hey, hey, hey hey
Hey, hey, hey, hey
You look so perfect standing there
In my American Apparel underwear
And I know now, that I’m so down
Your lipstick stain is a work of art
I got your name tattooed in an arrow heart
And I know now, that I’m so down
Hey! Hey, hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey
You look so perfect standing there
In my American Apparel underwear
And I know now, that I’m so down (hey!)
Your lipstick stain is a work of art
I got your name tattooed in an arrow heart
And I know now, that I’m so down
Enjoy your summer kick off!